MSA Education Department News

1. Counter-Faculty Handbook
2. MSA Student Affairs Committee
3. MSA Education Academic Affairs Committee
4. Got a beef with the university?
5. VSU: What all the fuss is about
To view information about one of the topics just click on the topic or scroll down to view.

2. MSA Student Affairs Committee

The Student Affairs Committee (SAC) organises activism around lead issues at Monash. It meets in the Activist space at 1pm every Thursday.

Everyone is welcome, and for more information contact Mark or Jimmy, our Education Public Affairs officers, at  Mark.Baker@adm.monash.edu.au or James.Mentor@adm.monash.edu.au

This year our major campaign is on the National Union of Students'
'Demand a better future: ‘Invest in our Universities’ election campaign.
It is based around four pillars of policy demands; abolish full fee degrees, reduce HECs fees, make youth allowance fair and repeal VSU. With a new federal government we now have a real chance to make progressive change that will improve the higher education system.
Make sure you come along to the Student Affairs Committee meeting
Thursdays, 1pm
Activist space (level 1, campus centre)

3. MSA Education Academic Affairs Committee

The Education Academic Affairs Committee meets monthly to discuss academic issues affecting students, ranging from Swotvac, to the Uni calendar, to whether the Uni should start using Facebook or Second Life. It is one of the main ways for the Academic Affairs officer to get feedback from students to take to the University’s internal committees. While it is mainly comprised of representatives from the academic clubs, anyone is welcome to come along if they have something to say. To get involved, contact the Academic Affairs officer at Dash.Jayasuriya@adm.monash.edu.au 

4. Got a beef with the university?
The Education department represents students and their concerns across a large number of committees, working groups and other decision making bodies inside the university. If you have a problem with a university policy, parking on campus, the library services or anything to do with your academic career at Monash, contact Dash Jayasuriya. Likely as not, you won’t be alone and we will bring your concerns to the university where they will make a difference. 

It’s important that the Academic Affairs Officer brings student feedback to the University committees, so to find out more information or to tell us your experiences, just click on the following links:

SWOTVAC
Week 13
Plagiarism

5. VSU: What all the fuss is about

VSU, or Voluntary Student Unionism, is a blatant attempt by the Howard government to strip student unions of funding. In late 2005 the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Up-Front Student Union Fees) Act passed through federal parliament, prohibiting universities from collecting a compulsory non-academic fee for any purpose, and threatens those who continue to do so with a fine of $100 per student. In addition to being an unwelcome interference in internal university affairs, this is a massive attack on all student unions across Australia , which largely rely on the funding from amenities fees to provide representation and run important services
For more info on VSU go to www.unistudent.com.au.

Under VSU all of this is under threat:

Wom*ns Department
Wholefoods
Education Representation and Advocacy
Welfare Support to students
DIY Radio
Queer Department
Clubs & Societies
International Student Services and Support (MUISS)
Subsidised Child Care Service (SWiCh)
Environment and Social Justice Projects
Environment Department
Transport Assistance and Advocacy
Mature and Part time student support
Lot's Wife
Student Rights Services
Short Courses Centre
Student Theatre
Host Scheme
Student Representation on University Committees